The Citadel¢-----------¢¢Available from Tiger Developments.¢¢As Tzen, the son of Treen, you have to prove your leadership by solving the puzzles beyond the gates of Helios.¢ The Citadel comprises of 26 screens which can be accessed by passwords. The object of the game is to reach the exit of each location. This can be done by pushing blocks and boulders to fill holes. There are also bombs, detonators and teleports to assist in your mission. Graphics are clean and easy on the eyes.¢ The early screens are pretty easy but they get more difficult as you progress.¢ The concept of the challenge is very good but gameplay is limited, because once you have completed the mission there is little incentive to play it again. More screens or an editor would certainly have added another dimension. Nevertheless, at a budget price it is worth including in your collection, if you enjoy the 'thinking' type of game.¢¢reviewed by The Pixel Pirate¢*¢The Curse¢---------¢¢Available from Micro Discount.¢¢Some great programs have come/are coming from Poland and this one is no exception. Super graphics make this real-time adventure a MUST for all you adventurers.¢ All text is in English so the lack of instructions is not that important as everything is pretty straight forward.¢ Basically, your quest is to remove the curse the ruler of Darkness has thrown over the land.¢ Using your joystick, you select commands from an on screen menu to move "yourself" around the 30 locations. Making a map is imperative as funny things can happen to you!¢ You can carry as many spells as you like but you are limited to the number of 'items' you may hold. Although there are 28 items some of them are red herrings. Sometimes you may lose your powers and will have to search for gems to restore them. Most of the problems are solvable with thought, but regulary SAVING to disk is advisable.¢ When searching locations for items/clues make sure you check every nook and cranny as a lone pixel could reveal something...also a room that revealed nothing first time round may later in the game manifest that 'item' you need! Also look out for blank walls that reveal secret passages.¢ Perhaps not the hardest of graphic adventures but surely one of the most entertaining. Do yourself a treat and get a copy. More adventures in this genre would be most welcome.¢ If wanted I can supply hints to the solving of 'The Curse'.¢¢reviewed by The Pixel Pirate¢*¢Tarkus and the Orbs of Doom¢---------------------------¢¢Available from Tiger Developments.¢¢You'd probably be surprised to learn that this game is a follow-up to 'Tarkus and the Crystal of Fear' - not!¢ Well, stupid introductions out of the way, let's get on with the review.¢¢After Tarkus' sterling work in rescuing the four Crystals of Emotion the world has been a peaceful place. It seems, however, that this peace is threatened due to the some evil Warlord building a collection of magical orbs - the Orbs of Doom (dun nah!).¢ Due to his success in his last mission, Tarkus has again been chosen to save the world. However, this time Tarkus has no magical powers but he does have the help of his giant pet chicken (must have traded his magical powers for a large quantity of LSD).¢ Now, if you've loaded the game the first thing you'll encounter is the security screen. It really is bloody awful and quite difficult because using the home-made security system is no easy matter! For a starters there are too many symbols that look alike and the symbols that are actually half the normal size on the screen appear as full size characters on the slip of paper you receive (to understand this try comparing the characters produced by pressing control-E and control-D. The control-E character is half the size of the control-D, yes? But on the paper it appears the same size, which leads to confusion).¢ Although I have said the security is awful, I must admit that something had to be done to combat the piracy problem. Hopefully, in their next production, Tiger Developments will use a more efficient and easier-to-use protection system.¢ Enough of all that. Onto the game...¢ In one player mode you control both Tarkus and Aquatarkus (your pet chicken) but if you play in two player mode each character is controlled by a different player.¢ Each character has his own special ability. Tarkus can jump but his energy is zapped if he touches water (why?) and Aquatarkus cannot jump but can pass through water. Using each character's ability you must manipulate switches to turn on/off lifts, open doors, stop monsters etc.¢ The graphics in the game aren't anything special and look decidely flat, and the music is awful, but thankfully it can be switched off.¢ The gameplay is OK but hardly stunning. It doesn't take long to figure out what to do and I managed to get to level J on my first go which isn't bad.¢ Not a bad budget game but not a patch on the original 'Tarkus'. It costs #2.99 if bought on its own but you get both this and 'The Citadel' for #4.99.¢¢reviewed by John E. (TEBSF)¢
